Austria - secures its place at 2010 Football World Cup

Even if the Austrian national team fails to qualify for the South Africa World Cup, Austria will nevertheless be a strong presence at the championships.

The prospects of Austria’s national football team qualifying for the next World Cup - to be held in South Africa in 2010 - are not looking particularly good. But Austria will certainly be represented there - by several Austrian companies who are playing an important role in revamping and preparing the football stadiums. Here are some examples:

The facade of Johannesburg’s FNB Soccer Stadium, which is currently under construction, is being manufactured in Austria by Rieder Smart Elements GmbH from Maishofen in Salzburg and Tyrolean metal specialist Valenta .

The access management technology to ensure the smooth flow of spectators into the stadiums – including the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth - will be provided by Salzburg company Skidata .

To ensure that traffic flows smoothly to and from the stadiums in Johannesburg and Cape Town, Tyrolean Swarco AG is fitting the latest LED technology to traffic lights in both cities, while Lower Austrian company ContribSystems will supply mobile container grandstands to South Africa.